Xolos lose 1-0 at San Luis, out of playoffs

Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles stars Joe Corona and Fernando Arce were at Petco Park on Saturday afternoon with several Padres to announce the July 6 exhibition game there against fellow Mexican soccer team Club America.

Which means they weren’t in San Luis Potosi for Saturday night’s Liga MX game.

The Xolos sent a reserve team to last-place San Luis for a game with playoff implications so it could rest the regulars for Tuesday’s big Copa Libertadores clash at Estadio Caliente against Palmeiras of Brazil. The result was predictable, a 1-0 loss that mathematically eliminated them from the playoffs with one game remaining – against Chivas next weekend.

Tijuana got two more red cards, Diego Olsina in the 53rd minute and Noe Maya in the 64th. That makes it five ejections in last three Liga MX games.

Playing nine against 11, the Xolos managed to keep it scoreless until the 85th minute, when Alan Zamora netted the game’s only goal. That kept the Xolos (5-8-3) at 18 points; Pumas, currently holding the eighth and final playoff spot, has 23.

The friendly against Club America on July 6, a Saturday, is the latest venture in a growing relationship between that began in December when the Xolos conducted preseason training at Petco Park.

Said Tyler Epp, Padres vice president for business development: “I would say the expectation of both parties is that this will be a partnership that lives far beyond July 6.”